Position Grades: Deshaun Watson cements legacy as Clemson wins 2nd national title

Position Grades: Deshaun Watson reaches another stratosphere against Alabama

In a heavyweight rematch worth the one-year wait, the No. 2 Clemson Tigers delivered the knockout against the defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide, scoring a game-winning touchdown with one second remaining to notch the school's first national title in 35 years.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson was the main attraction for the second year in a row, torching the vaunted Alabama defense to cement his place in college football history. In a back-and-forth game with haymakers thrown on both sides, Clemson held the definitive edge at the most important position. Here are the immediate position grades on the historic (and wildly entertaining) showdown.

John David MercerJohn David Mercer-USA TODAY Spor

Quarterbacks

Clemson: A+

Deshaun Watson needed to flirt with perfection to give the second-ranked Tigers a chance against the nation's No. 1 defense. After an uncharacteristcally slow start, the two-time Heisman runner-up did just that. One year after torching Nick Saban's defense for 405 yards and four touchdowns, Watson racked up 463 total yards and four total touchdowns, willing his team to a second-half comeback.

He was the difference.

In the final 22 minutes, the Tigers scored four touchdowns. Most of that damage came courtesy of Watson, who was under constant duress from start to finish and kept delivering dime after dime. His final two touchdown drives will live in Clemson lore forever. Against this level of competition, Watson went out with a near-perfect performance.

Alabama: C+

There was a moment in the second half, during Clemson's furious comeback, when Alabama failed to convert 11 consecutive third downs. Jalen Hurts, Alabama's true freshman, struggled throughout the game, completing just 13 of his 31 throws. Sixty-eight of his 131 yards came on one busted assignment in Clemson's secondary. (In relative terms, it didn't help that his more experienced counterpart went supernova in the second half.)

Still, there were two positive developments from the 18-year-old signal-caller with a bright future: He never made the crucial mistake and he didn't miss when big plays presented themselves, finding tight end O.J. Howard for a 68-yard touchdown and scrambling for another 30-yard go-ahead score with two minutes remaining. He would've played the hero's role were it not for Watson.

Matthew EmmonsMatthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Running Backs

Alabama: B+

For a moment, The Rematch looked poised to feature Derrick Henry 2.0. Junior running back Bo Scarbrough followed in his predecessor's footsteps — Henry, the 2015 Heisman winner, rattled off 158 yards and three touchdowns — with two early, bruising runs that set the tone. He finished the game with 93 yards and two touchdowns, but as the game shifted to a passing-driven affair and an injury popped up, Scarbrough was limited in second half.

Clemson: C

With 46 rushing yards and a poorly timed lost fumble, it was a quiet night for Clemson standout running back Wayne Gallman. Still, the junior found other ways to contribute, particularly in the blocking game by springing Watson on a few scrambles. Gallman also tacked on 39 yards in the passing game to keep Alabama's front from simply pinning its ears back.

Kirby LeeKirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Receivers

Clemson: A

Deshaun Watson is scary with his full arsenal. As magnificent as the star quarterback was in picking apart Alabama's secondary, he challenged his receivers to make plays. He placed passes where only his targets could reach them, and let his receiving corps do the rest.

His top target, Mike Williams, battled through multiple hard hits, including a missed targeting call in the first half, to step up for highlight reel grabs down the stretch. Last year's surprise Alabama kyrptonite, Hunter Renfrow, caught two more touchdown passes in the rematch. Tight end Jordan Leggett might have hauled in the biggest catch of the night on the final drive. In total, four Clemson receivers hit the 90-yard mark. Haymaker after haymaker.

Alabama: C-

Take away Howard, who once again found ways to slip behind Clemson's secondary, and the Alabama receiving corps offered Hurts precious little help. Calvin Ridley (36 yards) made a couple decent plays, but Howard's 106 yards were the only thing preventing Alabama's offense from becoming completely one-dimensional.

Mark J. RebilasMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Lines

Alabama: C+

For long stretches on Monday night, the defensive lines held the upper hand. Alabama's offensive line kept Hurts upright — the blitz-happy Tigers came up with zero sacks — and paved the way to a 130-yard advantage on the ground. Still, Clemson kept Hurts on the run all night.

Clemson: C

Watson's wunderkind performance saved his line at times, but the unit did improve as the game went on. As Clemson backed away from the zone-read plays and simply put the ball in Watson's hands, good things started to happen for the Tigers. Still, a botched snap leading to a turnover and four sacks later, it's difficult to give too much credit here.

Kirby LeeKirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Front Sevens

Alabama: A-

Reuben Foster, Ryan Anderson and Jonathan Allen were spectacular. Not a single Clemson drive went by without someone in the front seven making some spectacular play, whether it be chasing down Watson, burying running backs or sniffing out bubble screens.

Clemson: A-

Aside from Scarbrough getting downhill on two touchdown runs, Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins and Carlos Watkins were all over the place. Linebacker Ben Boulware was calling out Alabama plays before they unfolded, tallying two crucial tackles for loss. Batted balls were everywhere. Though Clemson logged zero sacks, its seven tackles for loss did the trick, rendering Hurts useless for the majority of the night.

Mark J. RebilasMark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Secondaries

CLEMSON: B

When the front seven swarms a true freshman quarterback and keeps him uncomfortable for 60 minutes, it can be difficult to accurately judge a secondary's contributions. However, aside from that one crucial blown assignment on the Howard touchdown, the Tigers held Alabama's receiving corps in check. Good coverage forced Hurts to throw away multiple passes when he escaped the pocket. Unlike the previous meeting between these two teams, Clemson's secondary was anything but a liability.

ALABAMA: C-

Clemson's receivers dominated the game — it's as simple as that. Yes, there was good coverage on various big plays (hi, Mike Williams), but when a Nick Saban team gives up 420 passing yards despite a consistent pass rush, there are only so many places to look. Alabama challenged its defensive backs to stop a loaded receiving corps from making plays one-on-one, and, particularly after halftime, it did not work out in their favor.

Steve MitchellSteve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams

ALABAMA: B

The key question in many Alabama losses over the past decade: Did anything go horribly wrong on special teams. In this game, the answer was no. Kicker Adam Griffith hit his lone field goal and each of his four extra points. Punter J.K. Scott helped the Crimson Tide control field position for most of the night, pinning Clemson inside the 20-yard line five times on 10 punts averaging 45.8 yards per kick. Despite no explosive plays in the return game and a tipped punt allowed, it was an efficient night from this unit.

CLEMSON: B-

Clemson knocked on the door with a couple explosive kick returns from Artavis Scott and C.J. Fuller that nearly broke, but it was a similar story for the Tigers: No mistakes. Clemson did not attempt a field goal, but kicker Greg Huegel hit his five extra points and punter Andy Teasdall did a decent job keeping it away from Alabama's return unit. (Bonus: Deshaun Watson helped flip the field with an excellent pooch punt.)